Time and Timing
by BellaPerea
Summary: AU. One stormy night, two very unlikely people have come together to tackle a great task that the devious Hinata has left them with-BABYSITTING. The problem isn't the deviousness of the task though; it's the people accomplishing it. KibaSaku, oneshot.


**A/N: _Happy birthday to me~ happy birthday to me! Happy BIRTHDAAAY happy_ *off key* _BIRTHDAAYYYYYY~~~Happy birthday to me!_**

**This is my personal birthday gift to myself on my 1*th (I'm still not telling you how old I am)! I've been working on it for about a month, channeling the power of YOUTH!**

**Okay, I'm high on soda. But really, this fic has been my pet project for the past month, and I've been dying to perfect it! Why? because it's full of cuteness and fluffiness and LITTLE ASUMA! Doing that has made this the most CHALLENGING oneshot I have ever written. Plus, KibaSaku is a bitch to write simply because it's not my usual. But I am in LOVE with this pairing. **

**Sit back, relax and CELEBRATE another year of wonderfulness in my life you all have given me!**

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><p><strong>On a serious note, pray for the victims of the tornado's in the US. Hopefully, the Midwest will be able to recover soon. You can do it USA! :-bd<strong>

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the franchises, songs or lyrics mentioned in this fanfiction. This fanfiction is mine though. <strong>

**Warning: Child cuteness up and coming. Oh, and Kiba and Sakura's mouths.**

**Recommendation: Listen to "_Breathe_" by Michelle Branch, "_Lullaby_" by Fall Out Boy and _"Beautiful Mess" _by Jason Mraz while reading this fic. ;D They were my inspiration for this. **

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><p>Kiba couldn't understand why his damn sister couldn't run errands by herself. She was—what—21? Compared to Kiba's newly graduated age of 18, he could deem his older sister much more capable of battling the coming monsoon in her warm car rather than him on his motorcycle. His male pride had also gotten in the way when she offered him her car, saying he wouldn't be caught <em>dead<em> driving around in possibly the world's girliest car model _ever_.

C'mon, why couldn't she just leave him to his about-to-end summer before he had to move out of the family compound and into a (quote) "lonely, dark, dorm room". He had even given Hana his infamous puppy eyes that he knew she couldn't resist.

Kiba blamed her immunity to cuteness on her new boyfriend (Uchiha what's-his-face, Shishu-shithead). And even then, it's also her boyfriend to blame for her sudden out of town trip that she could not accomplish things on her own.

So here he was, driving around Konoha mindlessly, running errands for his demanding older sister that ranged from picking up record sheets from the animal hospital she ran to picking up then dropping off a box of cupcakes at a colleague's house.

At first, the day started out fine. It wasn't particularly sunny, but the clouds weren't gray and the wind wasn't blowing at full force. The brunette decided that if he hurried, he could be done before it started pouring.

But, of course, Hana was mercilessly busy, and had a very long list of people she needed Kiba to see.

He had donned a grey V-neck t-shirt over a pair of jeans, and then wore his leather jacket for good measure. After all, what was a badass biker boy (for all his reputation's worth) without his leather jacker and Docs? Oh, and don't forget the dog tag.

By the time he finished the fifth errand (drop off dog food at Kakashi-san's place), the rain had started to pour. It was a soft drizzle, characteristic to the transition between the only two seasons that happened to exist in Konoha. He took some dry shelter under an overpass to escape the wetness.

The brunette whipped out his cellphone and dialed his sister angrily. He was answered by a sleepy moan from her, disgusting him profusely.

"Oneesan, can you please _back away_ from your boyfriend before I throw up in the middle of the street?" He asked, fighting a baby barf at the thought of his sister and her boyfriend in bed...not something baby—_younger—_brothers like to think about.

He heard the shuffling of some fabric (presumably bedsheets—insert eye-twitching here) before his sister started to speak. _"What's it, Kiba?_"

"It's starting to pour here. Do you think I can lay off some of these errands 'til tomorrow?" He practically begged.

In a house run by his mother and sister, he's learned that women, in fact, have the capability of wearing the pants, and when they do, all hell breaks loose if you don't abide by their orders.

Kiba could hear the sound of his sister's habit of tapping her chin. _"Hmm, how far have you gone down the list?"_

The teen pulled out a white notepad paper from out of his jacket pocket. He had done six chores so far. "Just finished with Kakashi-san's order."

"_Did you do them in order?"_ Hana asked with an exasperated sigh.

Kiba took a second before answering. "Yeah,"

"_You've got to look at the last errand Kiba."_

He took a second before unfolding the paper and revealing the last errand. "You've got to be kidding me."

"_Kiba, c'mon, only for tonight."_ His sister pleaded over the phone.

"It's _Friday_, oneesan. Do you really expect me to waste it away with some kid. Not to mention, _Kurenai's_ kid? She swore she'd never leave me alone with that kid, and I know for a fact that Hinata is out of town." He reasoned.

"_You're going to have someone with you. A friend of Hinata's. Look, the only reason you're gonna have to go is because somehow, you can get the kid to sleep. So please, get you _ass_ over to that house, wait out the rain and pride that kid with your life!"_

At that, the older Inuuzuka sibling hung up.

~O~

"Sakura-neesan,"

The pink-haired girl's attention was brought the Wii(c) controller brought to her face. She scrunched her nose, uncomfortable with the closeness, but ultimately smiled in the end.

"Yes, Asuma-kun?" She answered with a smile, pushing her glasses to rest on her head and slamming her pocketbook shut.

The six-year old smiled brightly. "Once mama and papa are gone, you wanna play Wii?" He asked graciously, looking at his babysitter with big red-brown eyes. Sure, she wasn't Hinata who came to watch him almost every week, but she was still nice, and the boy had taken a liking to her.

"As long as Asuma-chan gets to bed before 8:30, you can play." Kurenai appeared from the stairwell, hurriedly putting on a pair of dangling earrings. She wore a crimson cocktail dress and a pair of high heels. Her husband sauntered behind her, wearing a suit and a navy blue tie.

"Mama's so pretty!" Little Asuma cried, jumping into the arms of his mother. His father (and namesake—Asuma was diagnosed with lung cancer when Kurenai was pregnant, was about to die, and miraculously healed) gave him a pat on the back and a kiss on the forehead.

"Yes, mama's pretty." Older Asuma agreed, pushing a strand of hair away from her blood red eyes.

Sakura watched this family bonding moment from the couch. A soft smile graced her lips, although she did feel a bit mediocre compared to the older female in her loose green T-shirt, a pair of skinny jeans and sandals. She now realized why Ino often reiterated for her to dress more feminine. Though, she really didn't like wearing anything flashy. Regardless, minute accessorizing has been acceptable to the blonde, and Sakura was able to dress how she wanted.

"Sakura-san," Kurenai brought Sakura back to earth from her musings. "I'm sorry that you had to come and babysit on such a late notice, especially since it's Friday night."

The newly graduated high-schooler gave the dark-haired woman a smile. "No worries, Kurenai-san. It's nice to have a quiet night now every now and then." She reassured.

"Well, I've called one of Asuma-chan's usual babysitters to keep you company and to help control this monster!" She tickled the boy in her arms playfully. "His sister said he might be a little late, so just tell them that the guitar is in its usual place."

"Darling, we really have to go now, or we'll be late for our reservations." Her husband reminded her softly. "I think Sakura-san's got this covered. After all, she works in the hospital's children's ward."

Kurenai let out a sigh. "You're right, we're gonna have to go." She turned to the pink-haired girl and put down her son. "You sure you remember everything? Dinner, bath time, bed time?"

Sakura nodded reassuringly, rising from her seat to take the little boy from his parents. "You don't have to worry about anything, Kurenai-san. Like Hinata-chan, I'm a veteran babysitter!" She declared with a bright smile, earning a high-five from her little companion for the night.

The couple smiled. Older Asuma ushered his wife quickly down the hallway to the front door, one hand on the small of her back and the other clutching an umbrella. There was a slight drizzle, but nothing too bad that would hinder them from reaching their sedan parked out front.

When Asuma opened the front door, Sakura did not expect to hear him comment on how he had such good timing. She and Little Asuma were back on the couch, playing a video game about some alien rabbits. Once the child was slightly distracted, she craned her neck forward to see who had been at the door.

"Sakura-san!" Kurenai summoned. Instantly, the pinkette stood and followed to the front door, quickly excusing herself from the game.

"Yes, Kurenai-san?" She made it down the hallway only to...

...be filled with rampant rage at the sight of Inuuzuka Kiba conversing civilly with her employers for the night.

~O~

Kiba had regretfully followed his sister's orders. No, it wasn't because he had to babysit. Babysitting Asuma Jr. wasn't that hard (Kiba considers himself a charmer, even when it comes to kids). No, it was because he was babysitting with _Haruno Sakura. _

The first girl to turn him down for a date—in the seventh grade.

The year after, she beat him in Guitar Hero (and he lost 50 dollars to her).

The year they entered high school, he caught on to Ino's nickname for her: _Forehead Girl_. He was the boy who totally insulted one of the "prettiest" (he couldn't disagree more) girls in school.

The year after, she _once again_ turned down his bad boy charm. It was called the "worst rejection of the year", since he ended up with a mean black eye.

The year after, she caught him making out with Ino. She was absolutely disgusted. He simply rubbed it in that Ino was getting action, and she was just some well-dressed virgin.

Kiba didn't like being put down. His manly pride had obviously taken a hit, and he had become a pain in the girl's side ever since.

Sakura, on the other hand, simply hated the way he used girls. He's charmed _INO_ off her feet. And Ino has pretty high standards (that being said, Ino's standard is actually on par with Uchiha Sasuke, who has never even spared her a sideways glance). And what happens? Sakura catches them _making out_ behind the bleachers on prom night.

She was absolutely disgusted by this boy.

And c'mon, he insulted her forehead.

Only Ino can do that.

"Inuuzuka...Kiba." She snarled ferociously, her emerald eyes turned hard as he flashed her a coy smile.

"Oh look," He droned, studying the valedictorian of their high school. She had her arms crossed in a very familiar fashion for the demanding vice president of the student council. He nonchalantly removed his jacket and placed it on the coat rack. "It's Forehead Girl."

Sakura was about to punch the living daylights out of him. He just stood there, all _smugidy-smug-smug._ Oh, she was going to get Hinata back for this.

Kurenai saw the look the two teens shared. Angered and challenging. She was worried for her son's welfare, but apparently couldn't do anything about it as her husband ushered her under the umbrella and into their sedan.

"Sakura-neesan, why'd you sto—" Little Asuma scampered down the hall in search of his babysitter. He still held the white Wii remote in one hand and the nunchuck in the other. Both were forgotten on the carpeted floor soon after he spotted a certain Inuuzuka. "KIBA-NIISAN!"

The boy launched himself at the brunette teen, tackling him to the floor. They both fell in a fit of laughter, and Sakura couldn't help but be amazed at the lightheartedness of the whole picture. After all, this was biker/bad boy/flirt Inuuzuka Kiba we're talking about.

After the two boys sobered and got to their feet, Little Asuma encouraged them to return to the couch. Kiba had taken her place as the boy's video game buddy. The lone female took this as an opportunity to slip off to the kitchen and start making Little Asuma his dinner.

As she put two pieces of toast in the toaster (she was making sandwiches for three, but the damn toaster only had two slots), she began grilling some ham on the stove. She had one hand on the pan's handle, another on a pair of tongs and her phone secured in between her chin and shoulder.

"Pick up...pick up, pick up!" She chanted, hoping the owner of the cellphone could feel her anxiety.

"_Hello?_" The voice on the other end of the phone was not who she expected it to be. It was feminine, yes, but a bit higher than she expected.

"Hanabi-chan, is your sister there?" Sakura asked the younger Hyuuga girl. She wondered to herself why Hanabi was answering Hinata's phone in the first place.

"_Nani, Sakura-chan, are you having problems with Kiba-san already?_" The 15-year old inquired, malice strung with her words.

Sakura's eyes widened, regardless of the fact that Hanabi couldn't see her reaction. "H-how...?"

"_Hinata-neechan said you two would have to babysit together. She likes telling me about your little fights._" Sakura could picture the high school sophomore shrug with a knowing smile on her face. "_In my personal opinion, after observing your senior class for the past year, I'd have to say there's a lot of.._tension_...between you two. What are you wearing, Sakura-chan?_"

If she could, Sakura would've slapped her forehead at the younger girl's musings. "Jeans, green t-shirt, some sandals." She deadpanned. "What the hell are you trying to hint, Hanabi-chan?"

The younger Hyuuga sighed. "_Oh Sakura-chan, you know for a fact that you're pretty, and smart, and completely awesome. And let's just say...Kiba-san knows that too. But he doesn't know it yet—ahhh! Got to go Sakura-chan! Good LUCK—No, Neji-niisan, I wasn't snooping again—!" _

Exasperated, Sakura hung up. She then dialed another number, fury still rising in her.

"Neji, punish Hanabi all you want, but can you please hand the phone to Hinata?"

~O~

It actually took a while before Kiba noticed that he was left alone with Little Asuma. He and the kid had been playing an intense game of _Rayman Ravin' Rabbids(c)_ on the Wii. The kid mastered _every single mini game_. Kiba couldn't help but feel a bit pitiful, loosing to a _six-year old_. He had twelve years on the boy, and he still lost. If it had been something like _Mario & Luigi_, or something classic, he would've OWNED the kid.

"Hey kiddo, I'm gonna get something to drink. You stay here and do some major one player stuff, ayt?" Kiba stood from the couch and crossed the path of the TV. This caused the child to intensely swerve to get a clear view. Kiba chuckled, ruffling the boy's hair on the way to the kitchen.

"..Hinata, are you out of your..mind?"

Kiba stopped his calm saunter to the kitchen, stopping by the door. Sakura was evidently screaming at someone, probably on the phone. He bent down to press his ear against the swinging wooden door to listen.

"Five years, Hinata—"

'_So she's talking to Hinata...who _ditched _me._' Kiba thought to himself, quite annoyed that the Hyuuga had picked _Sakura_ of all people to help babysit.

"—you really think that after five...no! Woman, you are devious in your own right, but damn you to hell if you thought of this by yourself!" Sakura cried out. Kiba straightened himself up to peek in the little porthole. Her back was to the door as she tended to some ham on the stove. Her hands would move between her phone and the food itself in an angry flail.

Suddenly, her movements sobered.

"He's not gonna remember Hinata. Grade school's a foreign concept to him." She practically whispered after closing the last of the sandwiches together. "I-I'll call you later. Enjoy your trip." She shoved her phone back into her back pocket and lifted the tray of sandwiches, intending to walk out the door.

Gathering himself, Kiba took a few steps back, trying to make it look like he was just walking towards the kitchen now.

Sakura came out, pushing the door open with her right shoulder, balancing the tray. She stopped abruptly as she saw Kiba share the hallway with her. "Oh, it's you."

"Yeah...me." Kiba acknowledged with an awkward nod and shrug. He was still trying to piece together Sakura's bipolar speech. He inwardly shook his head and composed himself. "Do you need help with that?"

"I'm fine." Sakura insisted, starting to walk back to the living room. "But," She turned back to him. "You could get a glass of milk for Asuma-kun, and a glass of water for me, please? I've got a sandwich for you here." She gestured to the tray with a shrug, pointing out she had made three sandwiches.

"Sure," Kiba agreed easily, slipping back into the kitchen.

Once alone, Kiba muttered to himself. "Five years...what did she mean by that?" He wondered aloud. As a stream of water came from the dispenser, he used his free hand to count.

Five years, minus the four in high school, minus the seventh grade.

What had happened before that? Kiba couldn't remember. He deemed that he was a totally different person before his sister had bought him his first leather jacket. He couldn't remember anything _that changed_.

He still had the same group of friends. Like Hinata and Shino, who he's been stuck with since birth. Then there were a few other guys, who he kept friendly rivalries with. A few other girls, like Ino and Tenten and...

Sakura. Kind of.

He supposed a few of their friends had dispersed a little. The guys have made their own mini-groups, depending on interest. The girls, few that they were, had made some sort of sisterhood of trendsetters, perfect students and socialites. Looked up to, sought after—all that popular girl stuff. Like they could do no wrong.

Kiba fell behind as a social loner. He liked the distance, and he liked new people. No attachments.

"Kiba-niisan! Where are you? Your sandwich is getting cold!" Little Asuma's voice called out through the hallways of the house.

The brunette snapped himself from his musings, and picked up the three plastic cups. He had one in each hand, and the third was tucked in the fold of his elbow. He pushed the door open with his outer foot and walked down the hallway with ease.

He found Asuma and Sakura chomping down on ham sandwiches in the living room, the video game on pause. The two of them were seated on the floor, resting their forearms on the coffee table. Kiba reached down to put the Asuma's glass of milk on the coffee table, but forgot the other two in his arm and—

_SPLASH_!

Sakura was all wet.

"Seriously?" She cried out, lashing at the brunette. For lack of any better words, she just grunted as she reached to pull off the damp emerald green t-shirt she wore.

"_Whoah_, whoah." Kiba lunged and covered Asuma's bright brown eyes with his hands. "What exactly do you think you're doing Haruno?" He cried, thinking the girl was gonna walk around in her birthday suit. Kiba, by all means, would've welcomed this, but this was a _babysitting _job, and she was _Haruno Sakura. _

"I have an undershirt." She pointed out, lifting the tee to the level of her ribcage to reveal a grey camisole.

Kiba breathed out a sigh of relief before uncapping Asuma's eyes. The kid looked at the older boy curiously, before shrugging. He paid no attention to Sakura as she quickly shed the outer layer of her top, leaving her in a completely dry camisole.

Kiba, on the other hand, took into attention _everything_. Sure, he had seen her in a swimsuit (Naruto insisted on a beach trip last summer), so he really didn't mind that she was going to be in a sleeveless shirt. The thing that bothered him most was—

"A dog tag, seriously?"

Sakura shrugged, reaching for her shoulder bag. She pulled out a white cardigan from her bag and wrapped it around herself. "Tenten gave me one." She flashed it at the brunette, a cherry blossom tree embossed in the shiny metal.

Once Asuma was content with his sandwich, he looked up to the two teenagers sitting on opposite ends of the table. They were silent, each chewing on his or her sandwich. It was so silent, you could practically hear the water drying on the carpet.

Suddenly, the tyke spoke up.

"You know, Sakura-neesan and Kiba-niisan, you guys are matching!" He quipped.

Both their eyes flung wide open at the realization. Gray tops, blue jeans, dog tags—it went perfectly. They looked at each other with contempt, bothering each other with the though of matching outfits.

When neither replied to the little boy, Asuma once again wracked their brains with another statement.

"Mama and Papa wear matching things sometimes. They say it's because they love each other VERY MUCH."

Both Sakura and Kiba choked on the morsels of their ham sandwiches (which, regrettably, was also matching). They composed themselves, Sakura practically throwing off her dog tag, and Kiba forming a frown.

"What would make you think that, kiddo?" Kiba asked, completely unamused by the flying dog tag that just happened to nearly miss his left eye.

"Kiba-niisan and Sakura-neesan seem to know each other, and she's pretty and you aren't so bad looking." Asuma explained, innocence clear in his voice. He had absolutely no idea what he was hinting. If he were not absolutely adorable, he's be at the bottom of the ocean by now.

Sakura broke into a flattered smile. She reached over to pat Little Asuma's dark brown locks. "Awww, thank you Asuma-kun! You called me pretty!"

Kiba grumbled under his breath. Yeah, everyone knew she was pretty. But really, he's 'not so bad looking'? This is _Inuuzuka Kiba, _the (self-dubbed) most irresistible man on Konoha grounds. What was this kid thinking?

"Mmm-hmmm, you're very pretty Sakura-neesan. I don't lie, 'cuz lying is very, very bad!" The child reassured, earning an amused peal of laughter from the rosette babysitter.

_'Oh great. He wasn't lying.'_ Kiba mentally rolled his eyes, grumbling a little more as he collected the empty plates and cups and walked off to the kitchen. He heard Sakura's voice gently informing Little Asuma that it was bath time. The boy put up no fight, and the two disappeared to the upper floor.

~O~

"Sakura-neesan, why isn't Kiba-niisan your boyfriend?" Asuma inquired as the pink-haired teen shampooed his short brown locks. The boy was sitting in the bubble-covered water in the bathtub, staring up at his attendee.

Sakura inwardly winced. Why was the kid pushing this subject? "I...I don't like Kiba-san like that. That's all." She informed him with a shrug.

"But you two look so good together!" Asuma pointed out, flinging his damp arms around. "You look at him like you like him, because that's what Mama said a person who loves another person looks at that person."

Sakura brought a hand to her temple, regardless of it being covered in shampoo bubbles. "Whoah, slow down Asuma-kun. Could you explain that again?"

Asuma simply gave a shrug as he reached over for the shower head floating in the water. "I dunno also. Just ask my mama."

At that, the topic was dropped. Sakura was lucky that the 6-year old was turned away though, because he wouldn't see the furiously persistent blush that would probably tell him he was right.

~O~

Several moments later, when the young boy was all dressed for bed, a knock resounded on the door.

"Come in!" Little Asuma declared, stating his ownership of the room. The navy blue door swung open to reveal a smiling Kiba. "Hi Kiba-niisan! I'm all fresh now!"

Kiba's smile widened with the kid's statement. "I can smell that." He joked, approaching to give him a high-five.

"Well Asuma-kun, you have thirty minutes before bedtime." Sakura stated. "What do you want to do?"

Asuma cutely put a finger contemplatively on his chin before brightening up with an idea. He jumped off his single bed and walked over to his two-shelved bookcase. He pulled out a simple children's book about a little girl who gets dropped into a strange world.

"I'm going to show Sakura-neesan and Kiba-niisan how good I can read!" He announced, racing back to bed with the book in hand. The boy seated himself under the covers, with either babysitter on each side, trying to stay on the bed built for a single child.

Several minutes passed. Alice was now in the Red Queen's court, Sakura was helping him pronounce a few words and Kiba was effectively more worn out by the bedtime story than the kid was.

"Knight? But this one has a K, for Kurenai!" Asuma said proudly, pointing out the starting letter of his mother's name.

"If the K is before the N, then you don't say the K. Like in _knife_." Sakura gently pointed out, placing a finger underneath the printed letters. The little boy on her left 'ahh'-ed in understanding.

Thirty minutes later, Alice is back home, Asuma is asleep, and the two babysitters find themselves sitting far away from each other on opposite ends of the couch. Sakura's nose buried in a pocketbook, and Kiba having nothing to do.

He remembered the last time he babysat for the Sarutobi family. It had been with Hinata, but the sweet girl simply couldn't get the kid to go to sleep! He was bouncing all over the place, and if it weren't for Kiba's discovery of a guitar in the household and his extensive knowledge of soft ballads, Asuma wouldn't have fallen asleep before bedtime.

But then, Sakura had gotten him to fall asleep.

Kiba snickered. _'She probably bored him to sleep.'_

Bored, the brunette looked at his only companion.

"Whatcha readin'?" He asked, the lack of emotion or interest laced in his voice.

Sakura looked up, raising an eyebrow at his question, but answering it anyways. "A person's autobiography." She deadpanned, and returned to her book.

Kiba wasn't usually interested in non-fiction, but really, there was _nothing to do_. TV was uninteresting, and he didn't feel too hungry. "Who's?" He asked simply.

Again, Sakura gave him a questioning look. "If you must know," She said. "It's Niidaime-sama's." She turned the book around to show the face of their former presiding ruler and a founder of the city.

With that, all hopes of a conversation ended.

Another few minutes passed in silence until the two were plunged into darkness, a crash of thunder and some creepy lightning to accompany it.

"Fuck,"

Kiba's eyebrows knotted at the realization that he wasn't the one who had uttered the curse. He turned to the only source of light, which was Sakura's cellphone. Kiba pulled out his own, and they looked at each other for a second, planning what to do next.

It wasn't long before they both made a mad dash towards Little Asuma's room.

"Kiba-niisan! Sakura-neesan!" The boy cried out, his arms reaching out to the two. He had been awoken by the loud thunder, and was probably creeped out of his wits. "It went dark."

"It's alright Asuma-kun, we're right here." Sakura cooed, stroking the boy's dark hair.

"I want Mama and Papa," He sobbed into Sakura's shoulder as she rocked the child in hopes of lulling him back to sleep.

As if the kid was psychic (good timing must've run in the family), Kiba's phone rang.

"Hello?"

"_Oh thank goodness, you have signal!_" Kiba and Sakura recognized Kurenai's voice filled with panic. "_Are you alright? Has the power gone out too?_" It must've blacked out all over the city, since the married couple were supposedly on the other side of town.

"We're all fine. Kid just got a little freaked by the thunder." Kiba explained. "So it's gone out all the way there too?"

"_Yes. We were about to leave the restaurant, but even the street lights went out. We'll be a little later than promised._" The mother said. "_Anyways, there are candles and matches in the kitchen. May I speak to Asuma-chan?_"

Kiba removed his cellphone from his ear and gently pressed it against Asuma's. The boy looked at it and accepted it, hesitantly whispering a hello.

"_Asuma-chan, mama's here._" Kurenai reassured with a motherly voice.

"Mama..." Little Asuma drawled. "When are you coming home?"

"_Soon, baby. Very soon. Just stay with Sakura and Kiba, alright? Mama and Papa are on the way, you just need to be a strong boy and wait._" She comforted the boy and mumbled a few more words before Asuma uttered a small "okay" and handed Kiba back the phone.

"Yeah, Kurenai?" Kiba said into the phone.

"_You can find a few candles under the bathroom and kitchen sink. Matches will most probably be in the kitchen._" She instructed. "_And it'd be nice if you played a lullaby for him. Guitar's in it's usual place._"

"Alright." Kiba answered. "See ya in a bit." He put the phone down and excused himself from the room, going off to find the candles and matches. He entrusted the crying Asuma to Sakura, who cradled the boy in her arms as he sobbed.

A few minutes later, after lighting up the kitchen, living room and staircase with at least two candles each, Kiba set off the find the guitar. With his phone as a flashlight, he made his way to the utility closet beside the bathroom and found a typical acoustic guitar in a black cloth case. He pulled it out of the closet and continued down the hall to Asuma's room, two more unlit candle sticks and a box of matches in his arms.

"I'm back!" Kiba announced happily, pushing the door open with his shoulder. Sakura and Asuma were still sitting on the bed, but instead of crying, Sakura was showing his a game on her cellphone. "Look what I got kiddo!"

He set down the guitar on the bed, and handed a now lit candle to Sakura to put on the dresser. She took it with ease, dripping some wax onto the dresser and making the candle stand.

"Alright kiddo, so this is how we're gonna do this," Kiba pulled out the guitar from its case and set it on his lap. "I'm gonna take a request from you first"—he pointed to Asuma—"then you." He then pointed to Sakura.

Sakura, taken aback, jumped a little.

"So it's fair." Kiba explained with a wink. "Oh, but, you're gonna have to sing along to your request. Not that you have to worry kid, since you already have an awesome singing voice."

Asuma was a bit bashful. "I-I'm not so sure...can Sakura-neesan go first?" He suggested.

"Asuma-kun I can't—"

"Well, if you insist." Kiba said with a shrug. He then turned to the flustered pinkette in the room. "So, Sakura, you gonna choose a song? I can play...pretty much anything."

"Stop bragging." Sakura said with an eye roll, composing herself.

"Then show me up." The Inuuzuka hinted with a smirk.

After a long moment of contemplation, Kiba could stand the silence anymore. He started strumming a few familiar chords. Sakura's emerald eyes widened when she recognized the tune. Kiba noted that her eyes look exceptionally sparkly in the candlelight.

Yes, Inuuzuka Kiba used the word _sparkly_. You mad?

"Oh my God, Kiba, _this song_?" Sakura exclaimed as Kiba continuously repeated the first few chords.

"It's your favorite." The brunette insisted.

"Yeah, like in the 6th grade!" Sakura added a bit defensively, but couldn't hide the amused smile. She jumped up from the bed and shook her arms in a negating fashion.

Kiba returned the smile as he stood up to further tease the girl. "C'mon, Sakura. Sing, for Asuma-_chan_." He said sweetly.

Sakura looked over Kiba's shoulder to see an encouraging Asuma. "Yeah, Sakura-neesan, pleeease?"

With a sigh, Sakura walked back down to the bed. She then started singing. "_**I've been driving for an hour, just talking to the rain. You say I've been driving you crazy and its keeping you away.**_" She sang. Asuma started clapping along with the melody, and Kiba smiled approvingly. _**"So just give me one good reason; tell me why I should stay. 'Cause I don't wanna waste another moment in saying things we never meant to say.**_"

At this point, both Kiba and Asuma were on their feet. Asuma was jumping on the bed cheering for his two babysitters.

"_**If I just breathe, let it fill the space in between, I'll know everything is alright. Breathe, every little piece of me, you'll see everything is alright, if I just breathe.**_"

Sakura continued singing to Michelle Branch's _Breathe_. She remembered being twelve-years old, dancing around Ino's living room with the girls, and the boys criticizing their music taste.

_Flashback_

"_What a girly song." 12-year old Shikamaru sneered. "Troublesome females." _

"_Can we please, _PLEASE _put in that new _Busted_ CD already?" 12-year old Naruto begged, practically on his knees at the girls' feet. _

_12-year old Sakura paused from her antics and bent down to level herself to the sitting Naruto. "We like _Busted_, why can't you guys like _Michelle Branch_?" She wondered out loud._

"_Because it's girly, duh." 12-year old Kiba stated with a flick of his hand and an obvious tone._

_Sakura burst into laughter, her then-long hair bouncing around her. "It's just because you can't comprehend with the intellectual level of a female songwriter." She teased._

_Naruto leaned to whisper in 12-year old Sasuke's ear. "I didn't understand _any_ of that." _

_Kiba grunted in an annoyed manner as he stood up. His height towered over the awkwardly growing Sakura, but was demeaning in a sense that his nose was very, _very_ close to hers. "Wanna bet?" _

"_Bet that you can't learn to play this song and give me an essay on what it's about? By all means." Sakura challenged. _

"_Who do you think you are, Tsunade-sama?" Kiba backfired, mentioning the violent and demanding principal of their school._

"_What do you expect? I'm her favorite niece after all." She said smugly. "Well, if you've got a problem with—"_

"_Give me a day."_

_End Flashback_

Sakura never actually asked him again for the song, or the essay. Maybe because she was campaigning for middle school student council that day. But now that she remembered, she smiled wider. Kiba actually learned the song.

She looked at him.

He remembered too.

He _remembered._

Yeah, she would admit silently that she had a little, itty-bitty crush on Inuuzuka Kiba. She didn't know one girl who _didn't_, but he just...he was just such a JERK. Why couldn't he be this _sweep-you-off-your-feet Prince Charming_ that loved kids and sang love songs all the time?

_'Because he's Inuuzuka Kiba.' _She told herself. _'That's why.'_

After her little concert and a soft lullaby by Fall Out Boy (the song is actually called '_Lullaby'_. Go figure.), the lights had turned back on, Asuma was asleep, and his babysitters were standing side by side outside his door.

"Michelle Branch's 'Breathe'," He started, turning to her awkwardly. "Is about a girl and a boy who both can't accept their feelings for each other. The song is told in the girl's point of view, where she tries to pep talk herself into accepting them and is encouraging to boy to accept them as well. Kinda funny, huh?"

"I...I didn't think you remembered." Sakura mentioned with a smile. "_I_ didn't even remember!"

The started walking down the hall towards the stairs as Kiba started to chuckle. "I didn't either. But I don't remember any conversations between us about music for the past _gajillion_ years, and that was the only one that stuck." He said with a shrug.

They had now made their way to the kitchen. Sakura filled up two glasses of water and had passed one to Kiba. She had pulled herself up to the counter, sitting like a little schoolgirl. Kiba leaned back on his elbows beside her.

"Why haven't we talked, Sakura?" Kiba brought up after their laughter died down with a serious tone.

Sakura gave a faint smile as she stared down at her glass. "I guess...we grew apart?" She suggested.

Kiba shook his head and spun around to face her. "Because you stopped coming over to play Mario Kart?" He joked.

He got a laugh out of her. "Now that you mention it, I was over at your place a lot...back in _kindergarten_."

"Kindergarten, senior year—same difference."

Again, she giggled. Soon after, they fell into a comfortable silence.

"Maybe," She started. "if you hadn't become the world's biggest jer—flirt, we'd have been friendlier to each other through high school."

Kiba shrugged. "I just wanna enjoy life."

"You enjoy tons of heartbroken females?" Sakura asked jokingly with a perched eyebrow.

Curious as to how she'd reply, Kiba smugly answered, "Yes, yes I do."

She gave him a backhand slap on his arm to which he visibly flinched. Still, they filled the house with lighthearted laughter.

"I really don't think that's the only thing you enjoy. I mean, look how good you were with Asuma. And I haven't seen you with a guitar since first year." She said, enumerate the things about Kiba that she would outwardly admit were remotely attractive.

"Ah, well, kids are just a break from demanding older sisters and mothers. And don't forget that weird friend." He ruffled her hair playfully, like he used to when they were kids. Like before, it was soft. And her giggle was so playful that he was brought back to grade school.

Grade school...five years ago...when he and Sakura were best friends.

"_Five years, Hinata—...He's not gonna remember Hinata. Grade school's a foreign concept to him."_

Her phone conversation with Hinata rang in his mind. Was that what devious little Hinata was planning? To get them to be friends again?

At this point in time, he remembered that his hand was still in Sakura's (soft, silky) pink locks.

The thing is, he didn't pull back.

And she didn't fight it.

He could've stroked her hair forever, except Sarutobi Asuma simply has _perfect timing_.

"Hey ki—oh...was I disturbing something?" The man said, plopping his keys into a bowl on the kitchen counter.

Sakura pulled away, jumping from the countertop. "Absolutely no problem, Asuma-san. How was your and Kurenai-san's dinner?" She asked politely, but the little blush across her cheeks made Kiba think that she totally disagreed with her previous statement.

"Dang rain ruined a perfectly good night. But our boy comes first." He answered. "He didn't give you a hard time?"

Something in Asuma's gaze told Kiba that he wasn't referring to Little Asuma, but he was definitely talking to Sakura.

_Flashback_

"_Asuma, I think Kiba and Sakura want to kill each other. I'm worried." _

"_For who, love? Kiba or Sakura?" _

"_For Asuma-chan." _

_End Flashback_

"Good. Because you're most probably gonna have to give him a ride. No way I'm letting him go home dripping wet." Asuma motioned to Sakura, then Kiba with his free finger as he counted and handed a few bills to each of them. "We'll keep your bike in the garage while it's raining. You can pick it up in the morning. 'Night guys!"

Asuma then disappeared from the kitchen, and left the two by themselves. Sakura then motioned to leave the kitchen, Kiba at her heels. They collected their personal belongings and went out the front door together.

"So, when you drop me off at my place, you wanna stay over for a bit?" Kiba asked over the sound of the pounding rain. He held up his leather jacket to protect his head and Sakura's, without her knowledge. In fact, she just walked into the street regardless of her dryness or not.

"For what reason?" She turned to say after unlocking her red sedan. She and Kiba had got in on opposite sides. She tossed her bag into the back seat, and he settled in the passenger's seat.

As she put the key into the ignition, he turned to her and smiled.

"Mario Kart."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I am ultimately happy with the way this turned out. Hopefully, you are too! **

**Oh, and I'm also planning to write the reasons why Kiba and Sakura loathed each other through high school. It'll definitely be fun.**

**So now, I'm going to enjoy leftovers of my butter cake with marshmallow icing (yes, MARSHMALLOW ICING) that my dad surprised me with. It also says "HAPPY BIRTHDAY ISABELLA!" In bright pink and has pink flowers (y'know, the edible ones) around and lotsa sprinkles. **

**I have absolutely no qualms about the girliness about the design, except for the fact that my dad chose it. O_O**

**Anyways, TTFN! **

**'Til next time,**

**~Bella (the birthday girl!)**


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